Guys, upon further reflection, I am simply not good enough at this game to make a meaningful contribution.

Goddamnit, Edgar, yes you are. This isn't about beating people, it's about getting better and having fun. Unless your opponent plays with the Habs in which case embarrass him and remind him how little Kaberle does for him.

Don't drop it, I implore you. Hell, I'll scrimmage with you and we can work on it. It'll be fun!

ColdForged on XBL"I always said Coldforged is 6 times the man Stone is." - LiquidMantis

HUT trailer was...intriguing and confusing. I've never played the Ultimate Team mode in any of the EA Sports games. Not sure I completely understand the concept. Is this an online, human v. human mode or can you play against the AI?

I remember some epic online games versus SwampYankee where we would hit overtime tied 1-1 or 0-0. Then, after
OT, the full extent of our lameness was in full effect, as we did shootout after shootout without scoring. It was painful.

I've gotten a bit better since then, but I still rarely score on a breakaway or penalty shot. But then, neither did the Blues this year!

"I suggest we imbibe copious amounts of alcohol and just wait for the inevitable blast wave." - Castiel

HUT trailer was...intriguing and confusing. I've never played the Ultimate Team mode in any of the EA Sports games. Not sure I completely understand the concept. Is this an online, human v. human mode or can you play against the AI?

It's both. You can pick up and play both AI and online. And the same goes for HUT tourneys, both on and offline.
Every time you finish a game you'll get "pucks" which is in game currency to buy packs of cards or buy single cards at the auction house.

Or you can just make it easier and buy card packs.

XBL: Rebellion Scum
PSN: westernaddiction
"A Monstress moving across the sea, when she relieved her bowels all over the World."

I'm starting to really like some of the improvements they have made to HUT. It's such a great mode, and they've created a great way to get started with the team feeling very personal.

The ability to select your favorite team when first starting up NHL® 13 will help determine the initial appearance of your HUT Team this year. Rather than having to win the home and away jerseys of your favorite NHL team they’ll be included in your introductory Free Starter Pack.

If you’ve picked the Chicago Blackhawks as your favorite team (as pictured above), you’ll be playing in their colors to start with. All you need to do is pick your team name and abbreviation and you’re off to start your career as a HUT collector.

The Free Starter Pack will not only include the uniforms of your favorite NHL team, but also a few players from that team to give you someone familiar to build your HUT team around.

The rest of your team will be filled with players from other NHL teams, the CHL and other leagues in the game.

There are several types of items that come in HUT card packs this year:

• Player items - There are over 4000 players from 10 different leagues in the game to collect and use in creating your Ultimate Hockey team.

• Change Team – NEW for HUT 13 - will allow you to change a player’s team to get the best chemistry out of your lineup.

• Captaincy – NEW for HUT 13 – will allow a user to assign Captain/Assistant Captain to selected players in their lineup. Captains will receive a +2 overall rating, Assistants get +1.

• Legends Items – Collect ultra rare versions of some of NHL 13’s Legends which include NHL Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Jeremy Roenick, Doug Gilmour, Jarri Kurri and NHL legend Dominik Hasek. For the first time in HUT this year you’ll also be able to play with four-time Olympic Medalists Angela Ruggiero and Hayley Wickenheiser.

• Logo and Jersey items –allow you to personalize your team.

• Arena items - allow you to choose which size rink you want to play in International or NHL size rink and can help your team to success. A fast team might want an International rink as it provides more space not to get caught up in a physical game. While a tough and physical team wants the small confines of an NHL rink to play in.

• Head Coach Items - will give your team a boost on the ice depending on the coach’s ratings

• Training items - for both players and goalies can be placed on players to improve the skills and make them into superstars

• Contract items - allow you to keep your players under contract and lock in their salaries long term so you can create a dynasty and compete for an EAUHL championship.

• Healing items– Like in real life players now can get injured in the EA Hockey Ultimate League. To help counter injuries you can use healing items that will allow you to reduce the length of the injury and heal your player faster.

• Change Position – will allow you to change a player’s position to get the best chemistry out of your lineup.

• Returning Rewards – Just like last year in Hockey Ultimate team, you will receive a puck bonus to start off your NHL 13 experience depending on your puck balance and collection completion percentage from HUT in NHL 12.

"I suggest we imbibe copious amounts of alcohol and just wait for the inevitable blast wave." - Castiel

I may try to get a league set up, but I'd like to see us wait a bit to get a feel for exactly what we want out of the new connected franchise mode. Madden seems to have some issues, so I think it would behoove us to check out what NHL 13 has in store.

Te early release won't have HUT in it, but I am really, really hopeful we can get some guys interested in that mode. I think playing with our HUT teams would be a hoot.

"I suggest we imbibe copious amounts of alcohol and just wait for the inevitable blast wave." - Castiel